Air cooling oxygen circulating device



y 4, 1954 R. LEE 2,677,253

AIR COOLING OXYGEN CIRCULATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 11, 1951 FIG. I.

IN VENT OR RANDOLPH LEE WW6? W ATTY Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE COOLING OXYGEN CIRCULATKNG DEVICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an oxygen circulating device of a type that isgenerally used in regencrating the air supplied to a patient envelopedwithin an oxygen tent or hood. More specifically the invention relatesto an improved oxygen circulating system of the mechanical refrigeratedtype having an improved air filtering construction embodied therein.

The primary object is to provide an improved construction in amechanical air conditioned oxygen regenerating device.

Another object is to provide an oxygen circulating device having amechanical cooling system including a removable filtering element sodisposed with respect to the cooling coils of the device that any airwhich passes over the cooling coils is filtered prior to its contactwith said coils.

A still further object is to provide an improved oxygen circulatingdevice having a mechanical air conditioning unit, the unit including aplurality of cooling coils, the device including a blower for exhaustingthe air from an oxygen hood or tent and a filtering element so disposedin the device that the air passing over the coils is filtered prior toits contact with said coils.

Still another object is to provide an improved oxygen circulating devicehaving a mechanical air conditioning unit in combination with afiltering element so disposed within the unit that the cooling coils ofthe unit remain free of lint and other matter that may be picked up inthe air stream emanating irom the hood.

These and further objects will become more readily apparent from areading of the specification taken in connection with the accompanyingsheet of drawing In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view in elevation of an oxygen circulatingdevice as shown in use with an oxygen hood and supply;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 ofFigure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a filtering element.

Referring now to the drawing an oxygen circulating unit is generallyindicated by the reference character iii. The unit It comprises acontainer i I supported on caster wheels l2. A box or enclosure Ill issuspended within the container II,

this box having an opening i l at its upper end.

A box extension i5 is seated on the container l l and projects upwardlywith respect thereto.

The extension 55 is provided with a bafile l6 which divides theextension l5 into an inlet passage l! and an outlet passage IS. Theinlet passage ii and outlet passage is are respectively provided withopenings it and 28 in communication with the interior of a hood or tent24 which is suitably suspended from a support 22 supported on theextension it. The hood 2| is adapted to enclose a patient lying on a bed23 in a conventional manner.

The bafile it is provided with a portion it projecting into the box IEto separate said box into an inlet chamber 24 in communication with theinlet passage ii, and an outlet chamber 25 in communication with theinlet chamber 24 and the outlet passage i8. A plurality of refrigerantcooling coils 26 are disposed in the chambers 24 and 25 immediatelybelow the opening it of the box l3.

A horizontally extending section 21 is connected to the baffle is, thissection 2? defining the upper limits of the opening it. The section 2'!has a transversely extending angle Z8connected thereto. An angle 28 isconnect-ed across a top section 30 of the container i i. The angles 28and 29 provide a backing for a filtering element ti which is removablypositioned in the inlet passage I! over the opening l9. A reticulatedmem-- ber such as a screen or perforated plate 32 has its upper endconnected to the extension l5 as indicated at 33 and to the section 38as indicated at 34. 1

A blower 35 is positioned in the inlet chamber 24 immediately below thecooling coils 26. The blower 35 is connected for rotation with a shaft36 journalled in bearings 37 mounted on the box i3. An electric motor 38drives the shaft 37, the motor 38 being mounted in the container I lRefrigerant is supplied to the cooling coils 26 by means of a compressor33 connected to a condenser it from which the liquid gas flows to areceiver tank 4!. A conduit line 42 supplies the gas to an expansionvalve not shown which delivers the refrigerant to the cooling coils 26in a conventional manner. A return line 43 leads from the coils 25 tothe compressor. The refrigerant system is only schematically shown andmay be of conventional design including the necessary thermostats andcontrol elements which need not be shown in the present invention.

Oxygen is supplied to the outlet passage by means of a conduit 35,opening into the passage as indicated at 46. The conduit i5 is connectedto a conventional oxygen valve arrangement 41 mounted on an oxygen tank48.

In conventional oxygen systems the cooling coils soon lose theirefficiency since they become covered with lint and other materials whichare drawn from the hood. The interior of the passages and the chamberslikewise become covered. with this material requiring frequent cleaningand maintenance, thus necessitating the shut down of the machine. Inorder to avoid this problem, the present improvement contains aremovable filter element that is placed in the intake passage [1, closeto the cooling coils 26, so that all undesirable lint and othermaterials are filtered out before entering into the passages and thefiltering chamber. The filter 3| in combination with the reticulatedmember 32 serve to clean the air as it returns to the circulatingsystem, thus keeping the interior chambers and particularly themechanical cooling coils in maximum efiiciency operation. The element 3!can easily be replaced by removing the reticulated member 32.

Thus it can be seen that a new combination has been disclosed, thecombination including an oxygen circulating system comprising a blower,mechanical refrigeration coils, and a filter disposed in such a positionas to keep the cooling coils operating at maximum eflicienoy. It must beunderstood that changes may be made which do not depart from the spiritof the invention as disclosed nor from the scope thereof as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An air cooling and circulating device adapted to be connected to asource of oxygen comprising, a container, a box positioned within saidcontainer, said box having an opening at its upper end, an extensionprojecting upwardly from the container, said extension being incommunication with the opening of said box, a baffle positioned withinthe extension to divide the same into an inlet passage and an outletpassage, said bafiie extending through the opening of said box into thebox to divide said box into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, saidchambers being in communication, said passages being open and beingadapted to communicate with an enclosure, a plurality of cooling coilsdisposed in the inlet and outlet chambers immediately below the openingof said box, a blower in said inlet chamber disposed immediately belowsaid coils in the inlet chamber, said blower being arranged to circulateair entering into said inlet passage over said cooling coils and throughsaid outlet passage, a filter element disposed in said inlet passagesubstantially adjacent said cooling coils in the inlet chamber,mechanical refrigeration means connected to said cooling coils, and areticulated member disposed over said opening of the outlet passage andover the filter element disposed in the inlet passage.

2. An air cooling and circulating device adapted to be connected to asource of oxygen comprising, a container, a box positioned within saidcontainer, said box having an opening at its upper end, an extensionprojecting upwardly from the container, said extension being incommunication with the opening of said box, a baffle positioned withinthe extension to divide the same into an inlet passage and an outletpassage, said baffle extending through the opening of said box into thebox to divide said box into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, saidchambers being in communication, said passages being open and beingadapted to communicate with an enclosure, a first plurality of coolingcoils disposed in the inlet chamber on one side of said baffle, a secondplurality of cooling coils disposed on the other side of said bafile insaid outlet chamber immediately below the opening of said box, a blowerin said box disposed immediately below said coils, said blower beingarranged to circulate air entering into said inlet passage over said.cooling coils and through said outlet passage, a removable filterelement disposed in said inlet passage substantially adjacent saidcooling coils in the inlet chamber, mechanical refrigeration means insaid container for supplying refrigerant to said cooling coils, and aremovable reticulated member disposed over said filter element disposedin the inlet passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,104,589 Hartman Jan. 4, 1938 2,159,741 Kettering May 23,1939 2,162,860 Philipp June 20, 1939 2,166,813 Gibson July 18, 19392,190,613 Sittler Feb. 13, 1940 2,210,458 Keilholtz Aug. 6, 19402,212,239 Komrofi Aug. 20, 1940 2,310,843 Ditzler Feb. 9, 1943 2,502,263Lewis Mar. 28, 1950 2,581,709 Rogers Jan. 8, 1952

